trade secret

noun

1. a secret process, technique, method, etc., used to advantage in a trade, business, profession, etc.

trade secret

noun

1. a secret formula, technique, process, etc, known and used to advantage by only one manufacturer

Word History and Origins

Origin of trade secret¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The report equates the file downloads to the theft of “trade secrets,” arguing that the “economic value” to news reporters who obtained them would be “incalculable.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Smith argued that Microsoft’s business in China served American interests by protecting the trade secrets of Microsoft’s American customers operating there and learning from what’s going on in the rest of the world.

From New York Times

The fee varies from industry to industry, and the fees that the largest merchants pay are typically a closely guarded trade secret.

From Seattle Times

In some cases, shims were installed on the wrong airplanes, said the employee, who asked not to be named because he fears Boeing might sue him for discussing trade secrets.

From Seattle Times

From a legal perspective, the question of whether one can sue for recipe theft often hinges on the nuances of intellectual property law, which encompasses copyright, patent, trademark and trade secrets.

From Salon